confuse

[ kuhn-fyooz ]

verb (used with object)

, con·fused, con·fus·ing.

1. to perplex or bewilder:

   The flood of questions confused me.

   Synonyms: nonplus, mystify

2. to make unclear or indistinct:

   The rumors and angry charges tended to confuse the issue.

3. to fail to distinguish between; associate by mistake; confound:

   to confuse dates;

   He always confuses the twins.

4. to disconcert or abash:

   His candor confused her.

   Synonyms: shame, mortify, embarrass

5. to combine without order; jumble; disorder:

   Try not to confuse the papers on the desk.

   Synonyms: disturb, disarrange, disarray

6. Archaic. to bring to ruin or naught.

confuse

/ kənˈfjuːz /

verb

1. to bewilder; perplex
2. to mix up (things, ideas, etc); jumble
3. to make unclear

   he confused his talk with irrelevant details

4. to fail to recognize the difference between; mistake (one thing) for another
5. to disconcert; embarrass
6. to cause to become disordered

   the enemy ranks were confused by gas

Derived Forms

• conˌfusaˈbility, noun
• conˈfusable, adjectivenoun

Other Words From

• con·fus·a·ble adjective
• con·fus·a·bil·i·ty [k, uh, n-fyoo-z, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• con·fus·a·bly adverb
• pre·con·fuse verb (used with object) preconfused preconfusing
• re·con·fuse verb (used with object) reconfused reconfusing
• un·con·fus·a·ble adjective
• un·con·fus·a·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of confuse¹

First recorded in 1300–50; from Old French confus “perplexed,” from Latin confūsus “mixed, poured,” past participle of confundere; confound

Word History and Origins

Origin of confuse¹

C18: back formation from confused, from Latin confūsus mingled together, from confundere to pour together; see confound

Synonym Study

Confuse, disconcert, embarrass imply temporary interference with the clear working of one's mind. To confuse is to produce a general bewilderment: to confuse someone by giving complicated directions. To disconcert is to disturb one's mind by irritation, perplexities, etc.: to disconcert someone by asking irrelevant questions. To embarrass is to cause one to be ill at ease or uncomfortable, so that one's usual judgment and presence of mind desert one: to embarrass someone by unexpected rudeness.

Example Sentences

Russia has also started to launch fake drones, without any explosives, to confuse Ukraine’s air defence units and force them to waste ammunition.

From BBC

Not only would this measure depoliticize redistricting, which will help my state’s politics reflect the preferences of its voters more accurately, but also, it’s been the subject of a lot of ratfuckery from GOP elements who want to see it fail, and are trying to confuse people by messing with the language they’ll read on the ballot.

From Slate

Plenty of their colleagues agree, but some caution that the Conservatives must not confuse early bumps for the new government with a sudden enthusiasm for the Tories.

From BBC

After the incident, Brown maintained contact with her, which, as expert Dr. Carolyn West noted, can be a tactic to control and confuse victims.

From Salon

The so-called Purcell principle, which takes its name from a Supreme Court election case in 2006, holds that courts should not change or approve of changes to election rules just prior to an election because it could confuse voters and disrupt election administration.

From Salon

Related Words

• amaze
• astonish
• baffle
• befuddle
• bemuse
• complicate
• confound
• daze
• demoralize
• disconcert
• disorient
• distract
• embarrass
• fluster
• frustrate
• involve
• misinform
• mislead
• mortify
• muddle